Christine Hawkes

Professor, Director of Microbiology Graduate Program
Microbiomes and Complex Microbial Communities Cluster

Bio

Hawkes is an ecologist studying the functions of plant and soil microbiomes. She received her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Bucknell University, and her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Pennsylvania. In her dissertation research, she addressed how soil microorganisms affected population viability of endangered plants. As a David H. Smith Postdoctoral Fellow, she studied the role of soil microbes in plant invasions and nitrogen cycling at the University of California, Berkeley. As a National Science Foundation (NSF) Postdoctoral Fellow, she addressed how root-associated microbes affect carbon cycling with warming temperatures. Hawkes currently leads a cross-disciplinary research program focused on (1) how plant microbiomes mediate plant stress phenotypes and (2) how drought and climate legacies affect plant and soil microbiomes.

Learn more at the Hawkes Lab website.

Education

Ph.D., Biology, University of Pennsylvania (2000)
B.A., Environmental Studies, Bucknell University (1993)


Latest News


Collaborative Crop Resilience Program (CCRP) held its 2025 Annual Meeting

CIFR faculty members participated in the 2025 Annual Collaborative Crop Resilience Program (CCRP) meeting in Fredensborg, Denmark.[…]

Hawkes receives Chancellor’s Innovation Fund

Congratulations to Dr. Christine Hawkes and her collaborator, Dr. Saad Khan for receiving one of this year’s Chancellor’s Innovation[…]

Marc Cubeta receives the Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Professorship Award

Congratulations to Dr. Marc Cubeta on receiving the Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Professorship Award! This honor recognizes faculty who[…]

Nathan Crook and Michael Bradshaw Named 2024-2025 Goodnight Early Career Innovators

Nathan Crook and Michael Bradshaw were named to the 2024-25 class of Goodnight Early Career Innovators. This[…]